


unstitch that shed-off soul

by patsywalker



Category: Jessica Jones (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-08
Updated: 2017-12-08
Packaged: 2019-02-12 03:44:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12950580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/patsywalker/pseuds/patsywalker
Summary: "Jessica Jones wasn’t destined to spend her senior year of high school babysitting: she’s never needed the cash and — unlike her current charge, who is drooling on her shirt and, in all actuality, older than her — she isn’t the type of kid parents flock to."or, op has feelings about baby!trishica, but only briefly.





	unstitch that shed-off soul

Jessica Jones wasn’t destined to spend her senior year of high school babysitting: she’s never needed the cash and — unlike her current charge, who is drooling on her shirt and, in all actuality, older than her — she isn’t the type of kid parents flock to. 

The facts are these:  
It is 3 a.m. Sunday.  
The Princess has, presumably, taken whatever Xanax necessary to come down from the night she's had and climbed into bed. More specifically, she has climbed into Jessica’s much smaller bed.

(Which still easily sleeps two people, but Jessica prefers the middle, taking up as much space as possible.)

She’s opted not to object because, despite being light enough for Jessica to lift with one arm, the Princess is just pathetic enough to elicit pity, or something like it. The scene is common enough, or at least the premise; she’s used to looking out for Patsy, but she can’t hold her hand all the time. She’s used to customary invitations to the parties — and, in fact, most anywhere she goes — but spending her weekends in penthouses full of braindead child stars couldn’t be less appealing to Jess.

Even if she grudgingly acknowledges one of them as her best friend.   
She’s still an idiot.  
Except she isn’t; she's so smart, too smart not to know what she’s doing, though she acts like it’s fine.  
  
Jessica has come to realize Patsy means it when she says something isn’t a big deal; it isn’t a denial, she just sees herself as inconsequential, disposable.  
She isn’t sure when that became a problem for her, or why: truth be told, she isn't that special, and she isn’t even that nice to her. But kindness isn’t exactly a prerequisite for Jessica’s affections, and they're stuck with one another, regardless.

Making the most of it sometimes means making sure no one dies choking on her own vomit.

Tonight, it also entails the Princess’s head on Jessica’s chest, an arm on her back from when she'd scooped hair from her face and left it there, reassured by the steadying rise and fall of Patsy’s breath. She’s almost drifted off when she hears her speak for the first time all night, and given what she says, she’d almost believe she’s dreaming.

“What was your family like?” Well, nightmares are dreams, too.  
“Why?” Jessica snorts, more defensive than she'd like. “You wanna know why I’m such a joy?”  
Silence settles back over the room, stretches over the next minute, and she’s hoping — praying, though she doesn’t expect an audience — Patsy’s finally passed out.  
No such luck.  
“Not that way,” she answers, with effort. “What was your mother like?”  
_Oh_.

Jess gathers Patsy’s makeshift ponytail in her hand again and lets go, combing nonexistent tangles with her fingers, unsure of who she’s trying to placate, but eventually, she talks.  
“She was… good, I guess,” somehow seems insufficient, despite the lump threatening to rise in her throat, so she adds, when she can: “She taught math. Her name was Alisa.” 

Patsy Walker repeats the name like it’s holy, and Jessica’s hand stills in her stupid already-overbrushed hair, and for a second, she forgets to breathe. She isn’t sure she can.

“She was good,” she repeats, and she doesn’t let her voice break, but either Patsy’s already asleep or she wants her to think she is, and Jessica doesn’t have the heart to play detective. 

[tumblr](http://patsywalker.tumblr.com/) | [twitter](https://twitter.com/gothtropolis)


End file.
